


Face Value

by elebridith



Series: Face Value [1]
Category: Angel: the Series, Leverage
Genre: Crossover, M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-06
Updated: 2012-02-06
Packaged: 2017-10-30 17:30:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/334296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elebridith/pseuds/elebridith
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The words became stuck in his throat and his eyes widened with shock as the black-dressed man turned around and the camera caught his face. Lindsey's jaw dropped. "Holy shit!"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Face Value

**Author's Note:**

> Cameo by Lilah Morgan
> 
> A/N: Disclaimer: Not mine. Nope. Nothing. Just playing with them.  
> Part One happens during A:tS' "Dead End" – Lindsey has his new hand already, but has not discovered its "evilness" yet. Team Leverage started working together about the same time as A:tS season two starts. It obviously goes AU, but the events of Leverage season one and two happen as we've seen on TV, with the only change that they never left Chicago. Simple reason for that - if they'd moved to L.A., they would've clashed with Wolfram & Hart sooner or later and I wouldn't have a story.:-) 
> 
> Thank you to my awesome beta rocketpool!

**Prologue**

Chicago

Nate Ford looked up from his files. "We need a retrieval." 

Eliot Spencer nodded. He took off his glasses and began polishing them. "What is it?"

"Not what. Who."

Eliot nodded slowly. "Ah. That witness you talked about earlier, right? Where?"

Nate pointed to a plane ticket. "Los Angeles."

Eliot put his glasses back on and smiled. "Consider it done."

Nate smiled back and started to plot out his further plans. 

  
  


**Part One**

Los Angeles, Wolfram & Hart

Lilah Morgan entered the office with a force that was just short of bursting in. "Lindsey, what the hell did you think you were doing?"

Lindsey looked up, giving her a long-cultivated look of polite disinterest. "Lilah. And what have I done this time to get you so… agitated?"

Lilah stared at him, fuming. "Seriously, Lindsey? Did you really think that wearing a wig would be enough to conceal you from us? And I really didn't know that you were hiding a body that good under those suits!" As soon as the last sentence had slipped out, she bit her tongue and blushed.  _I did NOT say that aloud, right?_ But Lindsey's amused expression told her otherwise. She drew a deep breath and slammed a security tapeon Lindsey's desk. "Where were you last night? Around eight?"

Lindsey looked bored. "Lilah – I was here. If you had bothered to check our security camera tapes before your grand entrance here, you would know that I left this building at ten fifteen." 

Lilah opened her mouth and closed it again, trying to cover up her embarrassment. "I…" She really hadn't bothered to check, not with what she had seen on the tape. She searched for the right words, for a defense, but Lindsey cut her off. 

"Anything else? I really have work to do, Lilah." 

She took a deep breath and purposefully made an annoyed expression. "Lindsey – you have to see this." She tapped on the tape. "You… we… might get in trouble for this if your alibi is not bulletproof." 

Lindsey closed the file he'd been working on. He looked up, eyebrows lifted and a small sarcastic smile curling his lips. "Lilah, I'm really touched by your concern. Really." He sighed dramatically. "All right then. What is it?" 

Lilah put the tape into the player and prepared the monitor. "Yesterday Reed decided that one of our… off the books-clients really needed a reminder that we're watching him. He deemed it less important and so he used a human squad. And now, look what happened." She pressed the button and the screen came to life.  

Lindsey recognized the "client"– one of those unlucky bastards who had mingled with the firm's business purely by coincidence – and the faces of the human thugs who were approaching their victim like hyenas. Nothing unusual so far. "Now watch closely, it's very fast." Lilah turned up the volume. Beneath the crackle of static they could hear a smooth confident voice.  

_"You're gettin' in the way of my job here."_

Lindsey frowned. That voice sounded… familiar. _No, can't be. Bad audio, that's all._ He leaned forward, but the action that followed onscreen was kind of blurred. All he could see was a person dressed in black who approached the five thugs and,  in a whirl of motion, took them out with the fastest and most precise combat movements Lindsey had ever seen. _That guy is_ _good_ _. Looks human, moves like a human - even more impressive._ He shook his head in awe, not taking his eyes away from the screen. It took only a few seconds, and all five thugs were on the ground, not moving. Lindsey rubbed his chin, thoughtful. "All right Lilah, this is impressive, I'll give you that. But what has this to do with…" The words became stuck in his throat and his eyes widened with shock as the black-dressed man turned around and the camera caught his face. Lindsey's jaw dropped. "Holy shit!" 

Lilah gave him a smug grin. "You could say that, yes. I take it that it's really not you, is it?" 

Lindsey hit the freeze-frame button and stared at his own face on the monitor. The picture was black and white, but there was no mistaking it. The resemblance was stunning. The only differences seemed to be the hair length and the beard stubble, and as far as he could tell, the guy had about three times more muscle on him. He even radiated the same air of confidence that Lindsey had when he was in court. He pressed "Play" again to watch the rest. It wasn't much – the guy just said _"Ready to go?"_ to the "client", who stared in shock for a few moments and then both men moved out of sight. 

Lindsey tried to clear his thoughts. He looked up at Lilah. "Did he kill them?" 

Lilah shook her head. "No. But they won't be able to work for a very long time." 

Lindsey closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. This had trouble written all over it. It was bad enough that the "client" was gone, but having a double of himself out there… He knew his alibi was bulletproof, but you never knew what got you on the radar of the Senior Partners, and a thing like this just might be it. He looked up again. "As far as I know, I don't have any relatives that look like me. So who is this guy?" 

Lilah shrugged. "No idea. But you really should pay him a visit, don't you think?" 

***** 

It had only taken a few hours of work for some of the company spies to come up with the doppelganger's name, reputation and current location – the order "Find someone who looks like Lindsey McDonald" proved to be successful. Lindsey now stood in front of a door and took a few deep breaths, putting on an air of confidence before finally knocking. The intercom buzzed and a sharp _"Yeah?"_ came out of it. Lindsey answered with his best cocksure lawyer voice. "Mr. Spencer? My name is Lindsey McDonald; I work for Wolfram and Hart. Would you please open the door?" 

An amused dry laugh was the answer. _"Don't know you, ain't interested."_

A sharp crackle told Lindsey that the intercom had been turned off again. He almost rolled his eyes. This reaction was exactly what he had expected. He knocked again, more forceful. The com buzzed again. 

_"Still wastin' your time?"_

Lindsey grinned humorlessly. "Mr. Spencer, I represent a law firm and we have proof that you have abducted one of our clients. We have to talk. Now please open the door, or I'll have to take legal action." He waited, and then heard footsteps approaching and the key turning. The door swung open and a very familiar voice said: "Listen, buddy, I really don't got the time – " Then the man caught sight of Lindsey's face and broke off abruptly, eyes behind steel-rimmed glasses widening. 

Lindsey smirked and moved towards him. "I think you understand now that we have a ... situation." He took a step forward and tried to push himself past Spencer. 

The other man regained his self-control quickly. His flat hand landed heavily on Lindsey's chest, accompanied by a glare that stopped Lindsey effectively in his tracks. Spencer half-turned his head, but never took his eyes off Lindsey's face. "Hardison? We need the bug scanner." 

"Just a sec." The answer came from the other room, and then a tall black man showed up on the doorstep, holding a scanner device. Lindsey frowned. The reports he had read just hours ago hadn't mentioned a companion - on the contrary, actually. They all agreed that Spencer was some kind of lone wolf. He filed that information away for later use. The man Spencer had called Hardison tugged at his scarf and grinned widely. "Oh, we've got company. How n..." He broke off the sentence and his eyes nearly bugged out as he saw Lindsey's face. "Oh no, Eliot, you've got a clone! You never told me that you're a Mandalorian!" 

Spencer gave him an impatient glance. "Funny. Just scan him already, wouldja?" Hardison grinned and quickly did as he was told. With a triumphant grin he grabbed Lindsey's briefcase and, ignoring the protest, opened it and dug out a small device.  

"Gotcha, baby." He examined the bug and then spoke directly into it. "Hello and goodbye. Would you like some tea on your way out?" He walked over to the nearest table and took a full mug from it, dropped the device into it and turned back to Lindsey. "Now we can talk." 

Lindsey stared at the mug and started to laugh. The mental image of Lilah's face turning all red and furious now was just too good. 

Spencer still watched him closely, but his lips twitched a little. He turned to his team mate. "Hardison. That was _my_ Darjeeling tea." He gave the other man a furious glare, although Lindsey had the feeling that it was mostly for show. 

Hardison grinned smugly. "Sorry man. Couldn't resist." 

Spencer shook his head sharply, the small trace of amusement gone. "Shut up, Hardison. Is he alone?" He threw a pointed glance at Lindsey and huffed impatiently. 

Hardison rolled his eyes. "Yeah, he is. Don't insult me, man." He retreated to the back of the room and casually leaned against the wall, hands in his pockets. Spencer turned around, took another good look at Lindsey's face and shook his head, looking astonished for just a split second. 

"I know we're not related. Still. Unbelievable." 

Lindsey took a few moments to study the face before him. Eliot Spencer seemed to be a few years older, had longer hair and beard stubble, but the only really remarkable differences now were the glasses and a small old scar on his upper lip. He could only admire the man's self control – being confronted out of the blue with a mirror image had so far only produced a moment of surprise and now a raised eyebrow. Lindsey snapped back into the conversation and straightened. "Can we get to business now?" He felt Hardison watching his every move, and was fairly sure that Spencer would knock him out in a split second if feeling threatened, so he chose his words very carefully. "You took out five of our men. It was pretty impressive, I have to say. But sadly, the man you abducted was one of our clients. And my superiors are not happy about him being gone."

Spencer tilted his head and gave him a brilliant innocent smile that contrasted sharply to the cold alert expression in his eyes. "Sorry, can't help you there. Your client's already outta town and we don't know where he is." 

Lindsey clenched his jaw at the mocking tone of voice and swore silently to himself. These guys were good – and fast. He looked into Spencer's eyes and plastered a big courtroom smile on his face – the kind that showed a lot of teeth just on this side of threatening but did not reach his eyes. "Then let me give you one piece of advice. You have interfered with the firm's business. Not many people do that and live to tell the tale." As soon as the words had left his mouth, Lindsey knew that had gone too far. He didn't even see Spencer moving. He suddenly just couldn't breathe properly anymore and found himself slammed into the wall with a strong hand gripping his throat. Spencer's voice almost purred. 

"You've seen what I can do, right? Think that's wise?" Spencer released his grip and stepped back. "Get out." 

Lindsey barely managed to keep his confident expression. He instinctively raised his hand up to his throat to massage it, but changed the movement at the last second and just adjusted his collar. Judging by the tiny curl of Spencer's lips, Lindsey knew that he hadn't fooled him. _Whoever wrote that file on Eliot Spencer, he was wrong. Guy's a lot smarter than he looks._ Lindsey straightened and smiled coldly. "I think I can. You don't know what you're dealing with here. You should consider yourself fortunate that those thugs were only human. This time." 

Hardison snorted out a laugh and grinned at Lindsey. "C'mon, man. Telling us ghost stories here? Try something else to scare us." 

Spencer did not look amused. He threw an impatient glare at his partner and then searched Lindsey's face, disbelief and annoyance clearly showing. Lindsey didn't reply to Hardison's mocking question, he just looked at them with a very small, very confident smile. Spencer seemed to be convinced now. His eyes narrowed. "You're serious." Lindsey widened his smile just a little to verify that statement. 

Hardison gave another short laugh. "This is ridiculous, man. What are we talkin' here? Monsters? Godzilla? Oh, I know. Dracula! Uuuh, I'm really scared now!" 

"Shut up, Hardison." The other man finally reacted to Spencer's harsh tone, chuckled a bit and returned to the other room. Spencer's gaze was still fixed on Lindsey's face, and then he nodded. "Alright. Y'ain't gettin' your client back. Too late for that. But we're leavin' town. Today." 

Lindsey smiled coldly. The files may have been wrong about the working alone part, but Lindsey was very sure that they were right about the fact that you could trust Spencer's word. "Very well." Lindsey picked up his briefcase and reached for the door. He stepped out, then stopped and turned back, looking Spencer directly in the eyes again. "This is a very wise decision, Mr. Spencer. I really would hate to find a body in our morgue that has a face that looks like mine. Travel safely." He caught a glimpse of annoyance on Spencer's face at his sarcastic tone and widened his smile. He nodded curtly, closed the door behind him and made his way to his car. 

**Chicago Interludes**

Four weeks later

Eliot slammed his hands on the table. "What do y'mean, 'disappeared'?" 

Hardison sighed at the accusing tone. "As in 'gone', Eliot. Not listed as a resident of L.A. anymore. Left town shortly after we met him, bounced around Oklahoma and Texas, showed up in Japan. Covered his tracks pretty well, gotta say. Last appearance was somewhere around Nepal. Then - zero." 

Eliot leaned back and frowned. "Well if that ain't a fast exit. And the firm?" 

"Still business as usual. And man, they are really creepy."

Nate interrupted. "Still, they threatened us. Very openly. I want to keep an eye on them. I don't like surprises." 

Hardison shrugged. "As you wish, boss." 

*** 

Six months later

Nate opened the door to Hardison's office. "Did you get the status on Wolfram and Hart yet?" 

Hardison nodded. "Yup. Still doing creepy business, boss. But they're ignoring us so far."

Nate looked satisfied. "Good. And stop calling me boss." 

*** 

Eleven months later

"Ummm, folks? Remember I said 'creepy' last year? Scratch that and make it straight up 'disturbing'. You wanna see 'creepy'?" Hardison pointed at his computer screen. 

Nate's jaw dropped and Eliot's eyes widened. "Holy fuck - is that..." 

Hardison nodded. "Yup. Raining fire and brimstone. The sun is blacked out, and if that isn't some bad special effects monster, I'll eat my scarf. Looks like a Roland Emmerich movie. I bet it sucks being in L.A. these days..." 

*** 

Almost sixteen months later

"Hey, Eliot? Remember that clone of yours from three years ago?" Eliot glared daggers at Hardison, but decided not to comment. The hacker smirked, patted his computer lovingly and went on. "My doggie here has learned a few new tricks - and guess who's back in town!" 

Eliot looked at the monitor and raised his eyebrows. "Lindsey McDonald. I'll be damned. What put him on your radar?" 

The hacker grinned proudly. "I left some crawlers in Wolfram and Hart's mainframe computer last time I checked. Apparently they have a new CEO, by the way. And now some red flags came up."  Hardison looked pointedly questioning at Eliot, who gestured with one hand impatiently. 

"Yeah, yeah, techno babble. Get to the point already." 

Hardison grinned mischievously as if he thought about elaborating his explanation just to raise his teammate's hackles a bit, but turned serious again at Eliot's glare. "He was listed as "missing, but still in contract" but now he's pretty much marked as "really pissed us off"." He opened up a sub file and let out a whistle. "And look at that. Phone number, street address, all that jazz. Only thing that's missing is how the man takes his coffee." Hardison shook his head with with an overly sad and offended expression. "Little more of that an' I'm out of a job here. I'm supposed to be doing all that nifty hacker stuff that none of you can, not just clicking on a file and -" 

"Wait." Eliot sharply cut Hardison's rambling off. He stared at the screen, frowning. "Jus' a second. I ain't questionin' your computer skills, but - " He broke off and rubbed his chin, thinking. _This is familiar._ He pointed at the screen. "Was it just his or can you access others also? That easy, I mean." 

Hardison started to look offended, but then obviously recognized the slightly urgent tone of Eliot's voice. He pursed his lips and nodded slowly. "Let me see." He went back to his keyboard. Minutes later he looked up, face serious now. "Yeah, it's interesting. His is just a sub file in a bigger main one, and I can access them all. The others in there are the, well, let's call them Potential Threats. People who screwed with the firm one way or another." 

Eliot narrowed his eyes, an uneasy feeling starting to settle in his stomach. "Let me have a look." He went quickly through some files, read names and skimmed through descriptions and remarks. He balled his fists as his suspicion was confirmed. "It's a hit list." 

Hardison's eyes widened. "Whoa, what?" 

Eliot's face went hard. "I've seen that before. Mafia, the Triad - they keep lists an' hand them out to people who owe them favors." 

Hardison exhaled slowly and nodded, understanding. "And let them do the dirty work. Keeps the firm clean." 

Eliot nodded, jaw clenched. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, thoughts racing.  _A death list. I wonder what he did to get marked. He could be dead in a few days. Could be dead now._ He shuddered. _I really don't like that idea. Sure, he's an arrogant little bastard, but… does he deserve that?_ His lips curled into a sarcastic smile.  _Or is it just too close to home. Getting superstitious here, Eliot?_  He made his decision and abruptly stood up. "I'll get him out of there."

Hardison blinked. "Whoa, whoa, easy, man, he's a bad guy, remember?" 

Eliot snorted. "So are we, Hardison, if ya remember. And now he's on a hit list, as we are, maybe. He's an enemy, means technically on our side. And that's a story I really would like to hear." He made his way to the door. "Nate? Need to talk to you!" 

**Part Two**

Chicago, Team Leverage, headquarters

Eliot held Nate's scrutinizing gaze calmly until Nate finally blinked. "You want to... what?" 

Eliot looked determined, even a little stubborn. "Ain't askin'. I'm getting Lindsey McDonald outta L.A.." 

Nate nodded slowly, as if he had expected something like this. "And why now? Looks like he survived on his own pretty well, and Los Angeles is home ground for him." 

Eliot shook his head. "No. He's on the firm's hit list now, and from what we've already seen from them, it won't be pretty. Or fast. And…" His voice trailed off and he looked away. _He looks like me. Don't like someone dead who looks like me._

Nate studied him for a moment and then asked softly "And what?" 

Eliot looked back at him, calm again. "Nothing. I leave tomorrow. Flight's already booked." 

Nate looked worried for a moment and sighed. "Okay. I still don't like it, but we don't have a case right now, and it's not like I could stop you anyway, right?" Eliot flashed him a quick grin that Nate returned. Nate straightened. "And it won't hurt to have an insider. Just… be careful." 

That last sentence took Eliot a bit by surprise. The fact that Nate felt the need to give a warning told him that Nate was more spooked by the whole affair than he had let on. But he didn't say anything, just began collecting a few things out of his desk that he would need for the trip. Hardison watched him a few seconds, and then threw a questioning glance at Nate. As he received a nod, he stood up. "I'm comin' with, Eliot."

That earned him a sharp look. "This is my business." 

Hardison crossed his arms. "Uh-huh. And what if you need another access to the mainframe? Which is very likely. Think I'll let you borrow my laptop? Or tell you my hacker secrets? No way, boy. Besides - " he directed a wide cheerful grin at the other man - "if there really are monsters, I wanna see them." 

Eliot closed his eyes. "That's why I still prefer to work alone", he muttered under his breath. He opened his eyes again. "You won't back off now if I tell you to, right?" Hardison grinned even wider and Eliot resigned. "Whatever. Just remember I ain't comin' to save your ass if that monster has pointy teeth and decides to eat you." He smirked. "Which is very likely." 

Hardison slapped him on the shoulder. "Yeah, yeah, I know. When do we start?" 

Eliot grinned inwardly, but kept a straight face. "Three thirty tomorrow. In the morning. Be on time or I'll go without you." Hardison's face fell. He opened his mouth to protest, but Eliot plastered a brilliant smile on his face which was maybe just a little smug. "Ain't no point wastin' time. If ya wanna make yourself useful, book yourself a seat an' rent us a car for Los Angeles." 

Hardison shook off his stupor and nodded. "On it. Any special requirements?" 

Eliot's smile turned grim. "A bulletproof one would be good." 

Hardison swallowed and looked for a moment as if had second thoughts about the whole thing, but then straightened and nodded again. "I'll see what I can get." 

*** 

Los Angeles, the next afternoon

Hardison pointed at a building across the street. "That one. That's the address." Eliot brought the rental car \- which indeed was bulletproof- to a halt. He stared at the house for a moment, not saying anything. Hardison eyed him curiously. "So what now, man? I suppose you're gonna just go in there and kidnap him, right? Or do you have a convincing speech handy for how he should just -" he made air quotes - "'trust' us?" 

Eliot exhaled slowly. "Somethin' like that, yeah. Guess I'm telling him about the files and if he doesn't get it, yeah, I just knock him out." He let out a short laugh that sounded unusually nervous. "This city? Gives me the creeps. Dunno why, it's just..." His voice trailed off and his jaw clenched visibly. 

Hardison tried to laugh it off, but couldn't. A nervous Eliot Spencer wasn't something he saw very often, and he preferred not to remember the last two times he did. He had learned over the years to trust Eliot's gut feeling. And if he was honest with himself, he felt creeped out too. _If this was a movie, we'd have the meaningful theme music now. The one where the monster just waits around the corner._ "Yeah, I know what you mean, man." He looked out of the window again. "Oh." He nudged Eliot with an elbow and pointed to the building's door. "Eliot. There. He's leaving." He narrowed his eyes. "Is that a swor d? Yeah, it's a sword, man, why is he carrying a sword? Did he see us? Do we have to - " He broke off at Eliot's exasperated glare. 

"No, he didn't. Relax, okay?" Eliot got out of the car. "Let's go." 

They followed McDonald around the block, carefully keeping out of sight. The ex-lawyer had dropped the clean-cut look - his hair was noticeably longer and he wore a slightly scruffy outfit. But his stride was confident, even a little cocky, and the way he carried his sword clearly showed that this was a very familiar weapon. Hardison was sure that he could even hear him whistle. _Creepy. This town is creepy. Guy walks the street with a big bad-ass sword in hand and no one cares._ He frowned. _Come to think of it - hardly anyone's_ _there_ _. Everyone eaten by aliens already?_

He was just about to step around the next street corner as Eliot's hand on his upper arm stopped him in his tracks. The hitter pulled him back out of sight, motioned to be quiet - _yeah, really, Eliot, I know when to shut my big mouth_ \- and pointed forward. "He's got company. You have any binoculars with ya?" 

Hardison snorted, but kept his voice low. "Yeah, sure. I have a whole observation gear stuck in this little pocket here. Seriously, Eliot, this was supposed to be a grab-and-run, not a 'follow the big bad-ass sword', okay?" Eliot didn't say anything, just gave him that look of exasperation that he had more than perfected over the years. Hardison snorted again and peeked around the corner. McDonald now stood in front of a shabby building and talked to another man who wore a leather jacket and had a hat pulled deep over his eyes. A streetlamp lit up the scene a bit, but at the same time the man's hat produced a shadow that completely prevented them from seeing his face. Hardison sighed and stepped back. "You're so lucky I brought my camera with the nifty zoom lens, y'know that? Lucky. Threw it in the bag last moment." 

"Good for you." Eliot's voice was gruff, but Hardison could easily detect Eliot's lips twitching with a small smile. He grinned back proudly and pulled the camera out, adjusted it and carefully moved towards the corner again. He tried to get a good look at McDonald's companion and frowned.  

"Huh. That's weird." Hardison shook the camera as if he could re-adjust it somehow. He took a look up in the sky and frowned again. _Looks like a rainstorm's coming up. It really shouldn't be that dark this time of the day._ At Eliot's questioning look he shrugged, confused. "I know there's not much light and all, but I could swear his skin is - green." He raised his eyebrows and gave his voice a mocking tone. "You know, I'll just use the limited light compensator. Oh wait. I  can't. Because no one's told me to bring it!"  

Eliot completely ignored his bitching. "Green?" He gave Hardison an Are-you-fucking-crazy?-look and snatched the camera from him. He tried to get a good look at the guy next to Lindsey McDonald, who just at this moment decided to take his hat off. Eliot nearly dropped the camera. "What the fuck..." He raised it again, stared a little longer and finally handed it over to Hardison. "Look. Ya gonna like this. It keeps gettin' weirder. Let's get a little closer."  

He pointed forward. They quickly stepped around the corner and behind a parked car that allowed them to hide. Still they had a better view of both men now who were still talking, obviously unaware of their followers. Hardison lifted the camera up. His jaw fell as he looked through it again. His mouth opened and closed repeatedly. He pointed weakly with his free hand. "He.. he has..." He motioned wildly as he put the camera down and stared at Eliot. Who, infuriatingly, just stared back, eyebrows raised, smirking. _Yeah, you laugh. Is there anything that shakes you, man?_ _Anything_ _?_ He took up the camera and looked once more, but nothing had changed. "...horns," he weakly finished his sentence. _I have a baaad feeling about this._

Eliot looked a tiny bit relieved. "Yeah. Red ones. And green skin. Thought for a moment I was seein' things." He eyed the two guys again without the glass and frowned. "Somethin'... ain't right." 

Hardison lowered the camera and stared at his team mate, not believing his ears. He snorted and tried to sound sarcastic. "Ain't right, you say?" His voice was a little high-pitched, which would normally have induced some snarky comment from Eliot, but he didn't even seem to notice. Hardison shook his head. "Somehow I have a hunch that this guy is not a cosplayer. And in the real world? Green skin is only allowed if you're very very sick, man, and horns? Horns are never right, not outside of a computer screen!" 

Eliot gave him an impatient look, then closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. "Hardison. Forget the horns for a second. Don't tell me you ain't seein' that the green guy is up to somethin'?" He expectantly looked at his partner. Hardison raised his eyebrows, feeling a little indignant. 

"I can see that he's nervous, yeah." 

Eliot nodded, looking slightly mollified. "An' whatever he's plannin', it's not good. They're talkin' for quite a while now, an' he completely avoids McDonald's eyes. An' look how he fidgets with his hands. He has plans that he ain't likin', maybe somethin' he's keeping from McDonald. He really doesn't wanna be here." 

Hardison rubbed his chin, thoughtfully. "But it looks like they're teaming up for something. You mean he's playing his own game? Trying to double-cross your clone?" 

Eliot clenched his jaw. "He's not my... oh, forget it. I - look." He broke off the sentence and pointed at the odd pair who had started moving towards the door of the shabby building. Hardison couldn't stifle a small surprised sound as McDonald didn't bother to knock but simply readied his sword and kicked the door down. Hardison turned to Eliot who had merely raised an eyebrow at the sight and now nudged him. 

"Let's go. I wanna see what he's up to." They waited until McDonald and his companion had entered the house, and then carefully moved towards the broken down door. Through the opening they could see that the green-skinned person stood with his back to the door. They slowly inched closer to the door frame and finally could glimpse into the room where Lindsey McDonald just stabbed some creature onto a door that lead further into the house. The force behind the movement caused it to crash down in the process. McDonald just stepped over the corpse, seemingly unimpressed, and walked into the next room, sword ready. Green Guy followed him, and Hardison had to agree with Eliot - for a team that had the upper hand here now, the green guy was way too tense. 

Shouting and crashing sounds from the next room effectively covered up the tiny noises they made as they got inside and closer to the second door. Hardison got a good view of the stabbed corpse and decided immediately for the sake of his sanity not to look again. His stomach did a violent turnover and he inhaled slowly to keep it under control. Eliot grinned as he saw his team mate's face pale visibly. "You were the one who wanted to see monsters, remember?" he whispered. Hardison rolled his eyes and resisted the urge to kick him in the shins. Eliot barely threw a second glance at the body, already back in combat mode with all senses alert. He went towards the opening where the door had been and crouched down next to it to get out of sight. Already scanning the other room, he motioned for Hardison to stay behind him. 

Hardison slipped behind Eliot, leaned forward and peeked inside. And wished he hadn't. He quickly closed his eyes. _This isn't World of Warcraft, Alec. It's real. I can... smell the blood. Holy fuck._ He bravely opened his eyes again and tried to ignore the smell and sounds by concentrating instead on the one person that was definitely human. McDonald's sword mastery was surprising - he moved swiftly through the creatures with an efficiency that reminded Hardison strongly of the fighting skills the man next to him displayed so often. Without really realizing it Hardison nodded admiringly and turned to Eliot. "Are you sure he needs our help, man? Looks like he can handle it without us!" 

Eliot ignored the comment. He focused on the green-skinned guy who watched the fight nervously, at one time suddenly singing a tune ending in an extremely high-pitched note which caused the last two of the creatures to writhe in pain. McDonald gave the guy an appreciative nod, brought his sword down and the battle was over. McDonald and the green guy exchanged a few words Eliot could not quite understand, but one thing was clear: the fight was over, McDonald was now relaxed and satisfied with his work while the green guy looked visibly sick, definitely not happy about the victory and even more nervous than before. Eliot narrowed his eyes. _Whatever he's planning, it's happening now._ He checked the room again. McDonald, quite close to him, in the corner with the small basin. Green Guy, now taking a few steps back. _Fuck, that's a weird angle. If he has a weapon, he's too far away to -_ He tensed up as he saw the little hand movement Green Guy made towards his pocket and _knew_. 

_"It's not about what I think."_

_Gun. Shit._ He saw the green guy reach into his pocket, barely registered Hardison hiss "Eliot!", but he was already in motion. _Get Lindsey down first._  He darted forward into the room, leaping towards Lindsey, and a good old-fashioned body check was enough to bring them both out of the line of fire for now. _Move. Draw the fire away from him and Hardison._ Using his momentum, he let himself fall to the floor, rolled over twice and was fast on his feet again. He whirled around. The green guy had fired the gun two more times merely by reflex, but apparently hadn't hit anything but the wall. Eliot threw himself towards him, grabbed his gun hand and twisted it away from potential targets. As his free hand closed around Green Guy's throat, Eliot met his eyes and saw only shock in them. The guy froze. 

"Drop it." Eliot's voice was calm and carried only a very small hint of menace. Green Guy didn't even try to struggle, he just opened his fingers and dropped the weapon. Eliot held his grip for a little longer, not sure yet if it was safe to let him go. But then he felt his opponent slump just slightly, and the pure shock in his red eyes now mixed with resignation. Eliot narrowed his eyes. _He thinks I'm gonna kill him. And accepts it. Who the fuck tried to make this guy a killer?_ He let go of the guy and pushed him away just far enough to quickly pick up the gun and disarm it. Green Guy caught his balance, stared at him in utter amazement and then lifted his hands in defeat. 

"I'm sorry, Lindsey. I'm so sorry. I know that you... I'm sorry." His voice was rough and pained. He took a few steps backwards to the door, and as Eliot didn't follow, turned around and fled, nearly knocking Hardison over on his way out. 

Hardison looked after him, confused. "You... you're not gonna kick his ass?" 

Eliot shook his head. "No. Let him go. He won't try anything else." He turned around to check on Lindsey and cursed under his breath as he saw him lying on the floor, not moving. He hurried over and knelt beside the limp body to check the pulse. 

He could hear Hardison slowly coming towards him. "I, I think he's okay, man. Hit his head when you tackled him. I, uh, I'm gonna get the car, okay?" Hardison just waited for Eliot to nod and then hurried out of the room. 

Eliot let out a relieved sigh as he found a steady pulse. He continued checking Lindsey's whole body and hissed angrily as he found a nasty graze on Lindsey's right arm, obviously caused by a ricocheted stray bullet. _That was close. I think your luck for the next year's used up, Lindsey._ Eliot carefully ran his fingertips over the big lump that had already formed where Lindsey's head had hit the wall. He nodded slowly. _Concussion, but not too bad._  He ripped a piece of cloth from Lindsey's shirt and provisionally bandaged the arm wound. He looked up as Hardison entered the room again. At his questioning look he explained "Looks like he's okay. Concussion, maybe. At least his head will hurt like a bitch for a few days, but he'll live. I've patched up his arm a bit, gotta do it properly later."

Hardison nodded. "No problem. First Aid kit's in the car." Then made the mistake to look around the room. He gulped heavily, looking like his stomach turned at the sight of the slaughter. He closed his eyes and shuddered. 

Eliot searched Hardison's face, actually concerned. "Y'alright?" 

Hardison shook his head. "No, not really. Just got reminded that you should be careful what you wish for. Whoever said that first, he was smart." He tried to crack a smile which was not really convincing. Eliot gave him an encouraging look. 

"We're almost outta here. Take his sword, okay?" Hardison gave him a wide-eyed questioning look, but then shrugged and carefully picked the weapon up, crunching his nose in disgust. Eliot expertly lifted Lindsey's limp form in a fireman's carry over his shoulder and nodded to Hardison. "Let's go." They slowly walked out of the building and to the car, always checking for other threats. Eliot dropped Lindsey on the backseat and put him in a comfortable position while Hardison stored Lindsey's sword in the trunk and hid it under some bags. As he got back to the driver's door, Eliot casually looked up to the sky and inhaled sharply at the sight. "Hardison! Hurry! We gotta leave, NOW!" 

Hardison frowned. "Cool it, man, why so busy now?" Eliot pointed to the sky. Hardison glanced upwards and gaped. "Oh shit. Hit the road, man, and I really don't mind speeding now. I'll even pay the ticket…" 

Rain started to fall heavy now. The sky was dark with thick clouds which whirled in very unnatural movements and grew stranger in color every second. Thunder was rolling in the distance and then lightning ripped the sky. And then Eliot caught sight of something in the sky, something that didn't belong there. At all. He gasped and stared, not believing his eyes, and actually needed a few seconds to shake off his stupor. Hardison seemed to have lost his voice; he was just pointing, open-mouthed. Eliot grabbed him and pushed him towards the passenger door. He waited a little bit to make sure that Hardison really got inside and then jumped on the driver's seat. 

As he reached for the key, Hardison put a hand on his arm. His voice was shaky, but he seemed to have pulled himself together. "Don't know 'bout you, man, but no way I'm gonna go up in the sky now. Not with... that thing up there. Not on."  

Eliot started the car. "Agreed," he said grimly. "At least not from here. Let's hit the road, then we'll see. Or do ya have some geek device where ya can control a dragon?" Hardison just answered with a shaky laugh and Eliot gave him a grin while he stepped on the pedal. Tires screeched and then they were on their way, fleeing the city of angels. 

*** 

Lindsey stirred, moaned at the sharp pain that went through his head and opened his eyes. _Where am I?_ He blinked a few times, reached for the back of his head and hissed as his fingers found the bruise. "What the..." He slowly pushed himself up a bit to look out of the window. _Car. Not in L.A. anymore. What the hell happened?_ Then he remembered. His eyes flew wide open and he tried to sit up. "What the fuck…" The movement proved to be too fast. Lindsey drew a sharp breath and pressed his hands to his temples as another wave of pain hit him. "Ouch. Shit." He closed his eyes again for a moment and took deep breaths. A fairly sympathetic voice made him open his eyes again. 

"Easy, man, easy. You got quite a blow on the head, so just move slowly, okay? Water?" 

Lindsey narrowed his eyes and looked suspiciously at the offered bottle. He couldn't see the driver's face yet, but the man on the passenger seat who offered the water was definitely familiar. He searched his hazy brain for a name, but couldn't get his thoughts together, not with his vision swimming out of focus again and again. Finally he shrugged inwardly and took the bottle. _If they wanted to kill me, I'd be dead already._ After a few sips his vision cleared. He took a closer look at his companions and now caught the driver's face in the rear mirror. His eyes widened again and it took the rest of his self control not to let his jaw drop. "I don't believe it. You?" 

Spencer just grinned. The other man - _Hardison, his name was Hardison_ \- chuckled. "Team Hardison/Spencer to the rescue. We fight demons and dragons, if necessary." 

Lindsey shook his head and winced as that action gave him another wave of nausea. He took another swig from the water bottle. "What… what happened? I took out the Sahrvins and was just… oh God." His face went white with shock as the last missing memory hit. He gasped for air and dropped the bottle, sloshing a good part of its content over his legs before he somehow managed to grab it again.  _N_ _o. Fuck no. Lorne... Angel's plan? He fuckin' planned to kill me all along?_ He didn't realize that he was breathing far too fast and shallow until he could hear Hardison's voice again, like coming from very far away. 

"Eliot, stop the car, I think we need a break. Hey man, c'mon. Deep breaths. In, out. Good. Don't need you hyperventilating and passing out again, okay?" 

Lindsey inhaled slowly and tried to control his shaking hands. He blinked a few times until the white spots he had been seeing finally faded out. He took a few more deep breaths and then could see Hardison's concerned face clearly now. He gave him an uneasy smile. "I'm ... good, thanks." His voice still shook though, and he could see that neither Hardison nor Spencer were convinced. He leaned back, closed his eyes and replayed the last minutes he could remember in his head. "He… he wanted to shoot me," he said quietly, more to himself. "He said… Angel, you goddamn fucking bastard!" A wave of anger at his enemy boiled up and pushed the dizziness away for a moment. 

"I think we need to talk. Let's get off the road." Spencer looked ahead, searched the area and took the next opportunity for a stop. He switched off the engine and got out of the car. Wordlessly, he opened the backseat door, first aid kit already in hand. He motioned to Lindsey to roll up his sleeve and began cleaning and bandaging the arm wound Lindsey hadn't even realized he had. After he put on a new bandage, he sat down on the edge of the backseat and took a good look at Lindsey's face. "I'd really like to hear your story, you know. But first – how's your head? I'm pretty sure you have a concussion, you still don't focus properly. Need some painkillers?" 

Lindsey blinked. _Not sure if I trust you enough to give me pills, Spencer. Shouldn't have taken the water either, but that seems to be clean._ "No, thanks. I've had worse, I'll be okay."  

Spencer examined his face closer and nodded. "Just say something if it gets worse and we'll pull over if we need to, okay?" 

Lindsey felt a little clearer now. He nodded and now looked directly in Spencer's eyes. "How did you find me? And don't think I ain't grateful, 'cause I am, really, but - why? Why rescue me? That hotel room three years ago, that wasn't exactly the beginning of, y'know, a beautiful friendship!" 

Spencer returned the look, very earnest. "Hardison found you. You could say your firm offered you up on a silver platter. And why?" He gave Lindsey a wide smile that was just a touch ironic. "You know – I really would hate to see a body in the morgue that has a face that looks like mine."  

Lindsey stared at him, opened his mouth and closed it again. He felt a flash of shame as he recognized his own words and he lowered his gaze. His cheeks flushed a bit. _That sounds nice, Eliot, but it's not the whole story. What do you want from me? What's the deal? God, I wish my head would stop throbbing so I can_ _think_ _._   

Eliot gave him a moment and then continued. "So – green guy? With horns?" 

Lindsey coughed and took another sip of water. "Long story. To cut it short – there's an apocalypse coming. Angel was named one of the good guys and I – " He let out a cynical little laugh. "I wanted to help. For once in my life, I wanted to be on the right side. Still didn't like him, yeah, but I wanted to sort that shit out later if we both survived." He fell silent. 

Hardison twisted a bit on his passenger seat to get a better look at the two men. He frowned and rubbed his chin. "You mean..." He paused and then slammed his hand down on on his seat, looking angry. "You wanted to help and he tried to shoot you." 

Lindsey looked up, confused, and then smiled involuntarily as he got Hardison's mistake. "Not exactly. That green guy? That's not Angel, that was Lorne. One of his lackeys. Angel is – was – whatever – the CEO of Wolfram and Hart. A souled vampire, by the way." A bitter tone crept into his voice. "Not someone who gives people like me the honor of being killed personally, as it turns out. Never trusted me, and…" He made a disgusted sound which held a good deal of self contempt. "He really had no reason to, to be fair. Except this time, I really…" A wave of exhaustion washed over him. Lindsey's voice trailed off and he half-closed his eyes. 

Hardison looked fazed and mouthed "Vampire…?" before grinning a little too wide and too forced. "Vampire, huh? Did he sparkle or more like Nosferatu?" 

"Hardison." The word sounded as if Eliot had spoken it through gritted teeth, and as Lindsey glanced at his face he could tell that this was not far from the truth. He had to grin involuntarily as Hardison immediately backed down, looking a little embarrassed.  

"Right. Uh, sorry. Bad time. Yeah. Shutting up now." 

Eliot ignored him and focused on Lindsey. "Right. I'm sure we'll hear the longer version of this some time. Question is – what do you wanna do now? Apart from needin' to lie down again 'cause you're sporting a concussion." 

Lindsey snorted, feeling more and more resigned but tried not to let it show. "If I want to continue my - " He gave his voice a mocking tone. " - 'noble path to redemption' as the fuckin' Powers That Be would call it..." He shrugged with a sarcastic smile. "I should go back, face the music and get myself killed in the apocalypse. If I'm lucky, I take some bad guys with me." 

Eliot gave him a wry look. "More like this Angel guy stabs you in the back again when he sees you're still alive and kickin'. Not much of a redemption if you never even make it to the fight. Your choice though man. I'll turn the car around if you want to…" 

Lindsey let his smile shift to grim. _You guys have no fuckin' clue here._ He sneered. "What other choice do I have?" _You have a second-hand soul ready? No chance of gettin' mine back_ he added mentally, not wanting to go there here and now.  

Hardison and Eliot exchanged a look, and then both men grinned. Hardison gave Lindsey his widest smile. "You know – there's this bunch of really weird people. Basically bad guys doing Robin Hood stuff for kicks. Doing justice by breaking the law and all that shit. You, boy…" He tilted his head and eyed Lindsey up and down. "A sword master, and since you were a lawyer, smart – you would just fit right in. Sounds good?" 

Lindsey blinked and tried to process Hardison's words, but felt too drained. He rubbed his eyes and tried to focus again. "Okay, I'm not really keen on dyin' here. But what... where..." 

Eliot interrupted. "Chicago. An' since we ain't takin' any plane as long as you can't even stand on your own two feet, we have a little more than a thirty hours drive in front of us." Eliot stood up and gave Lindsey a sharp look. "Means you're gonna lie down and try to sleep for a bit. Time for explanations later." 

**Part Three**  

"They're back." Nate stepped back from the window with a relieved sigh. He'd gotten two phone calls from Hardison in the last day that had confirmed them getting out alive. The second one had also informed him that they might have a new team member (or, in Hardison's words, "Eliot 2.0"). But despite those reassuring calls, well, the news footage from Los Angeles had been too disturbing. Nate had been worried sick until the first call and his anxiety had not died down completely. 

He went to the front door and opened it. Eliot's car had just pulled up the driveway and the car doors opened to reveal a yawning Hardison, a tired-looking Eliot and a pale and slightly shaking man who almost dropped back on the seat as he tried to stand up. Nate took a closer look and shook his head in awe. Photos were one thing, but to see it in person... When Hardison had always used the word "clone" earlier, he certainly hadn't been lying. He stepped forward. "Welcome back. You got your man out of there, I see. Everything all right?" 

Eliot gave him a tired nod. "Yeah. He took a blow to the head and got a concussion, but he's slept it off now. I checked on him and he'll be okay after some good night's sleep." 

Nate frowned. "Blow to the head?" 

Eliot grinned. "I bodychecked him so he wouldn't get shot. Hit his head on a wall. Still, lesser of two evils." Nate shook his head again, but said nothing. Eliot helped the other man out of the car. "Easy, man. Don't move too fast." He looked at Nate again. "I guess you know who he is. Lindsey, this is Nathan Ford. Head of Leverage Consulting and Associates, an' maybe your new boss." Lindsey looked up and smiled a little weakly. Nate greeted him cautiously and tried to prevent himself from staring. Now that both men were a little pale and unshaven, the resemblance was just amazing. Eliot snapped him out of his reverie. "Nate? Can he stay here for a while? He needs to rest now and my place ain't big enough." 

Nate studied Eliot's face and grinned. "He's not the only one who needs rest, given how the three of you look. And yes, he can have the guest room. Come in." 

A few minutes later they sat in Nathan's living room. Lindsey sipped the offered coffee, too tired to speak and head still aching. He felt like slowly losing the ground under his feet, like running down a hill too fast. Despite of all the time that had passed already, his mind still hadn't really processed the events. _Betrayed. Used and thrown away like some trash. Maybe that's what I am. Still don't know why he - they - saved me._ He was so caught up in his thoughts that he barely noticed that Hardison had excused himself and gone off to his own place to catch some sleep before the next job. Eliot, on the other hand, had reluctantly accepted coffee after changing the bandage on Lindsey's arm again and was giving a short report about what had happened. Lindsey just sat there, thoughts still whirling but sheer exhaustion finally taking over. He leaned back, eyes half closed, trying not to fall asleep.  

Trying but failing since Eliot's voice woke him up a few minutes later. "Hey. You can sleep in a real bed now." 

Lindsey blinked and tried to focus again. "Sorry, must have dozed off. Where do I go?" He slowly pushed himself up from the couch and looked from Eliot to Nathan and back. 

Eliot gave Nathan a questioning look, and the other man motioned to the next room. "Guest room. You can stay there for now. There are some of Eliot's clothes." Nate gave him a measuring look up and down and nodded. "They should fit right. And the bathroom's over there." 

Eliot looked at him, face neutral. "I'll be sleeping on the couch here tonight because Nate will be out. You need anything, just call. Oh, and I brought your sword. It's over there." He gestured casually over to a small table in the corner. 

Lindsey didn't believe his ears. He stared at his weapon, then back at Eliot and he could have sworn that he could see a spark of amusement in the other man's eyes. He turned his look to Nathan who was already moving to the kitchen, carrying the empty coffee mugs and seeming not even a little concerned that there was a strange person with a deadly weapon in his guest room.  _There's a catch here. They don't trust me,_ _can't_ _trust me, so why -_ Lindsey looked back at Eliot and decided not ask further. Instead he just smiled gratefully. "Thanks. I appreciate that, really. I…" He hesitated, searching for words. "Thanks. For everything."

Eliot shrugged it off, but Lindsey could detect a hint of a smile. "'S okay. Sleep. When you're up again y'owe us the gritty details." His smile was more open now, but despite it being clearly encouraging, Lindsey's stomach knotted a bit. 

_Yeah, an' then y'all decide if ya trust me. What if not?_ But he had the feeling that Eliot thought it would be okay, so he grinned back, a little uneasy. "Yeah, I remember. And with all of you grilling me for details, I'd better get rid of this fuckin' headache." He nodded his thanks once more and retreated to the bedroom. Too tired to take a shower, he just shook off his jeans and shoes and changed into one of Eliot's t-shirts, but froze as the thought really sunk in. _Eliot's shirt._ He pressed his hands against his temples as the headache suddenly seemed to explode. _Eliot. Saved my life. An' not even by accident, no, on purpose. The last person in the world I'd expected to come to the rescue. Not someone who owes me. Not someone I trust. No, someone I fuckin' threatened. Three years ago. He should've watched me die an' smiled._ He huffed out a desperate laugh and buried his face in his hands. _That's probably what Angel's doin' right now. Laughing. Got rid of the trash. An' I thought we'd be on the same side for this. Stupid, Lindsey, stupid._

He lifted his head and stared at the wall, but not really seeing anything. _So if Angel's still the good guy, what are these people? What am_ _I_ _?_ He stared blindly a little longer, but couldn't find an answer. And despite his racing thoughts his eyes began to fall shut. _Sleep, Lindsey. They're gonna interrogate you tomorrow, an' you better be in shape for that._ He crawled under the covers, somehow managed to shut his mind off and was asleep seconds later. 

Eliot waited a few minutes until he could hear the even breathing from the next room. He glanced at the sword on the table. _Now, let's see if the boy does what I think he'll do._  His lips curled into a small smile as he went into the kitchen where Nate waited, ready to leave.  

"Are you sure that's wise? Leaving his weapon out there for him?" Nate managed to make it sound like a casual question, but Eliot could detect a hint of worry. He met Nate's gaze and held it calmly.  

"Don't worry. He's not gonna kill me." 

Nate shook his head, face hardening a tiny bit. "Still. You know he can be ruthless. There was no need to – " 

Eliot interrupted. "Yes, there was. Nate – the guy ain't some innocent puppy, but last night he was betrayed. By someone he thought honorable enough to keep his word despite being an enemy. That's already a lot to deal with. If he's ever going to fit in here, he needs some trust right now, or he'll just break." He paused. "Ain't got time to explain properly, but I'm sure." 

Nate studied Eliot's determined face for a moment and then shrugged. "I hope you know what you're doing. When I come back tomorrow, there better be no blood stains on the carpet." 

Eliot shook his head and said matter-of-factly "There won't." 

Nate rolled his eyes. "I was joking, okay?" 

Eliot curled his lips just a little. "No, you weren't. And I wasn't either. Have a good trip tonight." 

As soon as Nate left the house, Eliot dropped on the couch and fell asleep. 

*** 

Lindsey woke up with a start. His eyes flew open and he sat upright in the bed before he was even aware of doing so. He looked around the room, confused at first but then he remembered.  _Safe. Eliot's house. No, not Eliot's – the other guy's, Nathan, right? No demons. No… betrayal._ He snorted. _I wonder what happened to him. Hope he believes I'm dead._  He shuddered. _Nearly was._ The graze on his right arm burned slightly, his head began to ache again and he felt dizzy _. Why? Why did he save me? What's his agenda? Can't be just that we look so alike – no one does that. No one._ He pressed his trembling fingers against his eyes, hoping to ease the throbbing pain behind them, but it didn't work.

_Painkillers. Water. Bathroom_. He stood up, a little uneasy on his feet, and opened the bedroom door as quietly as possible. He could see Eliot's sleeping form on the couch and could hear his steady breathing. He took a few steps towards the bathroom, but then hesitated as he remembered.  _"Oh, and I brought your sword. It's over there on the table."_ The throbbing in his head got worse and his eyes started to burn. _He trusts me. Knows what I can do with the sword, but still left it here. No. Gotta be a trick. Can't trust me. No one can. No one will._  He was vaguely aware that his thoughts were starting to swirl around, taking an unreasonable turn, but he couldn't stop them. _It's a trick. It's a trick. Wants me to attack so they can kill me. No. Why? No reason. Should have left me. No one trusts…_

He was able to focus his eyes again. The pain faded for a moment as he realized with a surprised start that he had reached the table where his weapon had been placed. _Huh. How'd I get here?_ He slowly ran his fingers along the blade, smiling affectionately, not even noticing  that the sharp edge broke his skin. _Hel-lo, beauty, good to see you. At least one familiar face I can trust without thinkin' twice._ Then he closed his hand around the hilt and lifted the sword up. The familiar weight made him feel better at once. The throbbing behind his eyes constantly got worse, and he dimly thought that he felt like standing too close to a heater, but he didn't care. He didn't even feel the cold sweat that was running down his back now, drenching his shirt. He smiled, eyes gleaming.  _Y_ _es. Now, Eliot, learn your lesson. C_ _an't trust me, why should you? Get out, Lindsey. Kill before you get killed. Be alone. No one, just me._

He turned around and headed towards the couch. In the still dark room he could only make out a vague form in a heap of pillows and a blanket. He lifted the sword, pointed it at the couch, but didn't strike. The blade suddenly seemed to gain weight, to pull itself towards the ground, harmlessly away from its target. _No! No, don't do this! I need to... need to..._ Lindsey's already ragged breathing got faster as he tried to lift the blade again, hand already shaking from the effort. A sobbing sound formed in his throat, but he swallowed it. The speed of his racing thoughts shifted up another gear as images from the ride home flashed through his mind. Eliot, bandaging his arm wound, Hardison offering water, Eliot buying him a sandwich, getting another blanket, Eliot - _Eliot._ _No. No. Can't. Can't kill him. Saved me. Trusts me. Can't. No. Help. Please help me._ He lowered the sword to his side, not noticing the strangled pained cry that left his throat. He pressed his free hand on his burning eyes as the world before his eyes began to swim and his knees started to give out. 

"Lindsey." An arm wrapped around his shoulders to steady him and strong fingers twisted the sword out of his already weakening grip. It was a surprisingly gentle move, and for a moment Lindsey felt strangely relieved. But then he realized whose voice it was. 

"Eliot…?" Lindsey started to struggle weakly against the hold, but couldn't break it. _He's gonna think..._ He tried to explain, but managed little more than a whimper. "Eliot… no…I didn't…" He turned his head, trying to get a look at Eliot's face. The concerned look he found there made him stop struggling. 

"Sit down." Eliot's face swam out of focus again. Lindsey stumbled forward, now grabbing Eliot's arm for support, and only Eliot's quick reaction prevented him from hitting the couch face down. The world went dark for a moment, and then he found himself sitting on the couch, with Eliot wrapping a blanket around him. He could feel cool fingers touching his forehead, easing the burning of his skin. "You have a fever. Stay here, I'll get you somethin'." The throbbing headache was now almost nauseating. Lindsey felt like his limbs filled with lead now. He couldn't move even if he'd wanted to, he just stared ahead until he felt a cool glass pressed into his hand. "Here. Take those. Aspirin an' somethin' that'll let ya sleep." 

He automatically swallowed the pills with a sip of water, wondering idly why he trusted someone so easily. He looked up, eyes glinting from fever, and now actually felt drops of sweat running down his face. "Could've killed you." 

Eliot shook his head while he took Lindsey's hand and cleaned and bandaged the cuts on his fingers. "You didn't," he said gruffly. "Now, let's get you back to bed before you pass out on my couch." The sharp pain of the rubbing alcohol cleared the haze in Lindsey's brain for a moment, and he was able to stand up on his own. His knees were still weak though, and he was glad about the gentle way Eliot half-carried his weight on the way to the bedroom. The short moment of clarity started to vanish again as Lindsey sat down on the bed. Dark clouds started to waver in front of his eyes, but then he was back under his own covers, shivering uncontrollably and curling up to a ball. Eliot pulled the sheet around him and touched him gently on the shoulder. "Pills'll kick in in a few minutes. There's more water on the table, and I'm just in the next room. If you need anything, you just shout." 

Lindsey nodded weakly, trying to speak clearly through his chattering teeth. "Why… why would you do this? I'm…" He couldn't keep his eyes open. His voice started to slur and trailed off. 

Eliot's calm voice barely reached his ears anymore. "We'll talk later. You'll see." 

The next few hours went by in a haze. Later Lindsey could only remember snippets, pieces of nightmares involving Angel, Lorne – and himself, this time bringing the sword down. At one time he felt someone lifting him in a sitting position, holding a glass to his lips. He tasted bitter liquid that mercifully pushed away the images and let him fall into a dreamless sleep. 

*** 

"How is he?" Nate peeked over Eliot's shoulder at the bed in his guest room and then at Eliot, who stood in the door frame, looking pale and tired. 

Eliot nodded. "Better. Seems like the nightmares are fading. And the fever's going down." 

Nate shook his head adamantly. "It's been almost twenty-four hours. If it's not completely down tomorrow, you'll call a doctor, no matter what."

Eliot also shook his head, stubborn. "Nate, that's more trouble than it's worth right now. This is nothing physical, the concussion has worn off. The fever..." Eliot paused, searching for the right words. "His world turned upside down an' he needs to deal with it. He's fighting himself now. Believe me, I know that." _Inner demons are the worst ones. You can't hit them._ His eyes darkened as some very old memories started to surface, but he shook them off quickly. 

Nate gave him a long thoughtful look, and Eliot had the old familiar feeling that Nate was trying to read his thoughts, trying to figure out his motivation. Which was always a little spooky, since he was more often accurate than not. _Well, yeah. Not this time. Nothin' to find out._ Eliot put on a deliberately neutral expression and took a step forward into the room towards Lindsey's bed. Nate's voice stopped him in his tracks. 

"You do care a good deal about him." 

The tone was slightly too casual for a throwaway remark. Suddenly Eliot had enough of Nate's arguments and cryptic statements. Exhausted from lack of sleep, it irritated him right now more than it should.He whirled around to face Nate. "No shit!" he snapped, remembering at the last moment to keep his voice down. "You really ain't expectin' me to save his life an' now drop him on the street, Nate, right? 'Cos if you do, then say it now. What are ya up to?" His eyes blazed despite his tiredness and Nate actually took a step back. His expression remained calm though. 

"You cared about him even before, Eliot. You could have written him off three years ago. I just wonder..." Nate paused and smiled, a very tiny enigmatic curl of lips. Eliot wasn't completely sure if it was just amusement at his outburst or if Nate had other thoughts that his tired mind simply couldn't grasp right now. Nate continued. "Eliot, are you sure he's not a relative of yours? Half-brother? Cousin?" 

Eliot's anger faded. _For a moment I thought he meant I should get rid of Lindsey. No, bullshit. Of course not._  "Sorry. I was... " He exhaled slowly and shook his head, now looking Nate in the eyes. "No, he isn't. Hardison triple-checked and then some. Nothin'." He turned and went further into the room, towards the table to refill the water glass. 

"Do you want him to be?"  

Eliot froze for a split second. There had been a moment of disappointment at the result - a quick rush of anger, that life would once again deny him someone close, with no need for secrets and lies - but that had been over before he had even really realized it. And really, it was for the best. For both of them. 

He turned back to Nate, face calm and voice controlled. "You know how I feel about attachments." Nate gave him another one of his thoughtful looks, and for a moment it seemed as if he wanted to question him further, but then he looked at his watch and sighed. 

"Of course. You have a point." He gave Eliot a quick smile that even was a little apologetic. "And of course I don't want you to throw him out. So if you're sure he doesn't need a hospital, then I'll trust you on this." Nate sighed. "But if it gets worse…" 

Eliot nodded, a little impatient again. "Then I'll take care of it. But it won't. He's fighting a lot at the moment, but he's strong."  

Nate eyed Eliot's face and raised his eyebrows. "So are you, but try to get some sleep anyway, or you're the next one down." 

Eliot grinned, glad that the awkward part of the conversation was over. "I can sleep when I'm done playing nurse. Don't worry." 

Nate gave a resigned smile. "Take care. I really don't like leaving you here alone, but Sophie needs help now. I'll be back as soon as possible." 

*** 

Lindsey woke up feeling like he'd been out for at least a week. Again he needed a few seconds to remember where he was, but when he sat upright this time, he realized that the headache and the fever had faded away. Only slight dizziness was left and he felt a little clumsy as he reached for the water on the nightstand and needed two tries to finally grab it. 

"Feeling better?" 

Eliot must have ears like a cat, Lindsey decided, when only the clinking of the glass had woken him up. He stood in the doorway, stifling a yawn. Lindsey flinched. "Sorry, I didn't wanna wake you. But yeah, I feel better. A lot. What time is it?" 

"Nearly noon. You were sick two days." Eliot came closer, examined his eyes and looked satisfied with what he saw. He put a hand on Lindsey's forehead again and nodded. "Seems pretty normal. You hungry?" As if on cue, Lindsey's stomach growled. Eliot laughed. "Good. Tea? Coffee? Pancakes?" 

Lindsey nodded. "Yeah. Coffee'd be great. Wait." He frowned as Eliot's words sank in. "Two days? Oh hell." He looked down at himself, realizing that he was now shirtless, but had an extra blanket around him. He looked at Eliot, noticing now how tired he looked. "Tell me I didn't keep you up for two days, please." 

Eliot shrugged. Lindsey could see that he was suppressing another yawn, but his voice was gentle. "No big deal. Nate only just got back and the others have to work. You up to movin'?" 

Lindsey crunched his nose and snorted. "Seein' as how I really need to use the bathroom, I better hope so." He gave Eliot a quick grin and tried to stand up, content that apart from his knees shaking some it actually worked. Lindsey walked slowly over to the bathroom while Eliot watched him for a moment and then went into the kitchen.  

After a long hot shower Lindsey felt much better. He found clean underwear that was clearly newly bought and put on his jeans again. He gave his old shirt a suspicious look and decided to go for one of Eliot's instead. It was a little too big, but he felt comfortable in it. _Maybe it'll help. Familiar look for them._ As Lind sey left the bathroom, he heard the front door close and could see Nathan entering the room and heading straight to the kitchen. He clenched his fists and his stomach twisted a bit as he reluctantly followed. _Here we go._

A few pancakes and two cups of coffee later and feeling much more human, Lindsey was finally ready to face answers to the questions he really didn't want asked. He fidgeted with his cup. "I… know that I still owe you all a long story, but…" He mustered his courage to directly look at the other men. Nathan looked slightly reserved, but not unfriendly, while Eliot gave him a quick encouraging smile. Lindsey continued, not really feeling better. "Three years back, I threatened you, basically all of you." He caught Eliot's steady gaze. "Here, I pointed a goddamn sword at your throat. I can remember that." He huffed out an incredulous laugh and motioned around the kitchen. "Yet you still help me, even take care of me. You make me pancakes and sit here like it's the most normal thing in the world. Like I'm not the enemy. Why? Don't tell me you haven't read my files – I ain't exactly trustworthy!" 

Nathan raised his eyebrows. "Of course I've read your files. I'm surprised you never read ours more thoroughly. We are criminals, Lindsey. Just adding a little more white to the shades of grey that is the world by picking up where the law leaves off." 

Lindsey shook his head adamantly. "That's different. You have no idea how different. Okay, criminals, you got a small point there, but – that night? The sword?" He looked at Eliot, desperately trying to read anything from the man's face. "I wasn't exactly myself then, but I wanted to kill you at first. At least I thought I had to." He felt his cheeks flush slightly. _Way to make an impression, Lindsey._

Eliot shook his head. "I was awake the second you put a hand on that doorknob. There wasn't a chance things'd go that way." He looked slightly amused and Lindsey narrowed his eyes.  

_Is he makin' fun of me... no. As good as he is, he wouldn't brush this off. So what's the point in - ah. Of course._ Lindsey leaned back, slowly exhaling. "You left the sword there on purpose. You wanted to see what I would do."

Eliot clapped his hands in a mocking applause. "Smart guy. So all that law school did pay off." He leaned back with a smug grin and threw Nathan a satisfied look. Who, in turn, looked impressed, even if it was just a very quick flash.  

Lindsey couldn't tell exactly about what. _So I figured out Eliot's train of thought. Does that help me now in any form?_ Lindsey scowled, now slightly annoyed, almost wishing that they would finally give him the third degree. "So ya put me to a test. Great. Can't say I passed with flyin' colors, right?" 

Eliot just smirked. Nathan answered instead. "Why not? You stopped." He paused, giving Lindsey and expectant look. Lindsey just returned it blankly, not wanting to push the man one way or the other. A fast flicker of a smile told Lindsey that the other man had noticed and appreciated that. Nathan leaned forward, hands clasped. "Lindsey, Eliot won't hold something you did when you couldn't think straight with a fever against you. None of us will."  

Lindsey didn't feel quite convinced. _That's way too generous. Both of them. There has to be a catch._ He threw a glance in Eliot's direction and the affirming nod he received made him feel a little better.  

Nathan continued. "And he told me a few things about you. Do you know what convinced me that you fit in here despite everything?" 

Lindsey shook his head, curiosity now getting ahead of his anxiety. "What?" 

Nathan poured himself another cup. "During the time it took to drive here from L.A., when you were talking about this Angel guy - " Nate broke off and took a sip of his tea. Despite his nervousness Lindsey had to suppress a smile as he realized that Nathan's tone of voice reminded him now of one of his old university lecturers. _He was one of the rare good guys there. Maybe that's a sign._ He shook off the memory and focused on Nathan again who had sat his cup down and looked Lindsey in the eyes again. "How you fought and hated each other, how you had planned revenge – two things stood out: One, you were willing to put all differences aside because you wanted to help. For the sake of something bigger. Two, you never mentioned once getting revenge on the guy that shot you."  

Lindsey looked puzzled. "Lorne? Why should I?" 

Nathan tilted his head. "He was the one who pulled the trigger. Sure, he was a lackey, but he could have said no." 

Lindsey let out a little laugh. "Lorne was – just another pawn in Angel's game. I'm positive that he wouldn't shoot me on his own. I sang a few times at his club, and we always got along. But he never did like fighting, and I suppose that made him feel... I don't know, a less useful member of the gang? He always felt like he owed Angel, I guess that's why he agreed." He turned to Eliot, recalling an earlier conversation in the car. "And you said he was sorry." 

Eliot nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah. He looked… broken." He looked up and tilted his head. "But there's your reason right there." 

Lindsey frowned and stared at Eliot, searching his face for a clue. "I don't understand." 

Eliot leaned forward and looked very serious. "Y'ain't as evil as you think you are, Lindsey. You got enough honor not to hurt someone you think is innocent. And that? That's reason enough for me to trust you." 

Lindsey was speechless for a moment. He just stared at Eliot, mouth slightly open, not able to form a coherent sentence. _Just... just like that?_ For the first time he really believed that these people were really willing to accept him - that there was no hidden clause, no fine print. The thought was overwhelming. He swallowed, then looked back at Nathan and had to clear his throat before he could continue. "So – you think I would fit in here? My last attempt on team – well, you know how that turned out." 

Nathan and Eliot exchanged a look. Nathan looked thoughtful for a moment, and Eliot crossed his arms. "Your decision, Nate." The words came out slightly stubborn and were accompanied by a glare. Lindsey was sure that there would be heated discussions, should Nathan say no at the last moment. The idea of having an ally in someone he'd had least expected it from made him feel warm. Nathan studied Lindsey's face again for quite a while, and then finally nodded with a smile. 

"Welcome to the team, Lindsey. No one's gonna stab you in the back here, I can assure you that much."  

Eliot grinned, satisfied and a little teasing. "And as long as you don't let Parker drive you crazy, you'll do fine." He tilted his head and grinned even wider, but more encouraging. "You done eating? Good. As soon as the others are here, it's story time for you." 


End file.
